American Crossword Puzzle Tournament

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The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is an annual crossword-solving tournament held every March. Founded in 1978 by Will Shortz, who still directs the tournament, it is the oldest and largest crossword tournament held in the United States; the 2008 event attracted nearly 700 competitors.

The contest was held for thirty years at the Marriott in Stamford, Connecticut, but due to its increasing popularity, the 2008 tournament moved to the larger Marriott Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York.

The main part of the tournament consists of seven rounds. Puzzles in these rounds vary in size and difficulty. In each round, competitors solve the same puzzle. Puzzles are judged on both accuracy and speed.

The top three solvers after the first seven rounds progress to the final round, which consists of solving a very difficult crossword on an oversized grid on a stage at the front of the tournament room. The three competitors in this round wear noise-blocking headphones so that a team of commentators can remark upon the action for the spectators. The winner of this round is declared the tournament champion.

While anyone is eligible to compete for the tournament championship, prizes are also awarded to solvers in other skill levels, including rookies. Prizes are also awarded in various age and geographical divisions.

[edit] Wordplay

The 2006 documentary Wordplay, directed by Patrick Creadon, focuses on Will Shortz and the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. It includes interviews with many of the top competitors and climaxes with the final round of the 2005 tournament. The DVD release includes video from the final round of the 2006 tournament. Shortz credits the film as the main reason for the dramatically increased attendance at the 2007 event that necessitated the move from Stamford to Brooklyn beginning in 2008.

[edit] Tournament history

Year	No. Contestants	Location	Winner
1978	149	Stamford, Connecticut	Nancy Schuster
1979	154	Stamford, Connecticut	Miriam Raphael
1980	128	Stamford, Connecticut	Daniel Pratt
1981	125	Stamford, Connecticut	Philip Cohen
1982	132	Stamford, Connecticut	Stanley Newman
1983	146	Stamford, Connecticut	David Rosen
1984	115	Stamford, Connecticut	John McNeill
1985	110	Stamford, Connecticut	David Rosen
1986	130	Stamford, Connecticut	David Rosen
1987	118	Stamford, Connecticut	David Rosen
1988	137	Stamford, Connecticut	Douglas Hoylman
1989	134	Stamford, Connecticut	Jon Delfin
1990	143	Stamford, Connecticut	Jon Delfin
1991	149	Stamford, Connecticut	Jon Delfin
1992	172	Stamford, Connecticut	Douglas Hoylman
1993	192	Stamford, Connecticut	Trip Payne
1994	216	Stamford, Connecticut	Douglas Hoylman
1995	232	Stamford, Connecticut	Jon Delfin
1996	239	Stamford, Connecticut	Douglas Hoylman
1997	255	Stamford, Connecticut	Douglas Hoylman
1998	251	Stamford, Connecticut	Trip Payne
1999	254	Stamford, Connecticut	Jon Delfin
2000	286	Stamford, Connecticut	Douglas Hoylman
2001	310	Stamford, Connecticut	Ellen Ripstein
2002	401	Stamford, Connecticut	Jon Delfin
2003	495	Stamford, Connecticut	Jon Delfin
2004	478	Stamford, Connecticut	Trip Payne
2005	455	Stamford, Connecticut	Tyler Hinman
2006	498	Stamford, Connecticut	Tyler Hinman
2007	698	Stamford, Connecticut	Tyler Hinman
2008	699	Brooklyn, New York	Tyler Hinman